Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désirer

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The English translation of the French verb désirer is “to desire” or “to wish.” The infinitive form, désirer, is pronounced “day-zee-ray.”

The word désirer comes from the Latin word “desiderare,” meaning “to long for” or “to regret.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in its current form since the 16th century.

In everyday French, désirer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a wish or desire that is already in the past. This tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Imperfect Subjunctive, followed by the past participle of désirer.

Here are three examples of désirer used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais désiré que tu sois là avec moi. (I had wished for you to be here with me.)
  2. Il avait désiré que nous ayons plus de temps pour discuter. (He had wished for us to have more time to talk.)
  3. Elle avait désiré qu’ils aient une belle vie ensemble. (She had wished for them to have a beautiful life together.)

Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of désirer

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse désiré J’aurais aimé que je eusse désiré. I wish I had desired.
tu eusses désiré J’aurais aimé que tu eusses désiré. I wish you had desired.
il eût désiré J’aurais aimé qu’il eût désiré. I wish he had desired.
elle eût désiré J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût désiré. I wish she had desired.
on eût désiré J’aurais aimé qu’on eût désiré. I wish one had desired.
nous eussions désiré J’aurais aimé que nous eussions désiré. I wish we had desired.
vous eussiez désiré J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez désiré. I wish you had desired.
ils eussent désiré J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent désiré. I wish they had desired.
elles eussent désiré J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent désiré. I wish they had desired.

Other Conjugations for Désirer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
    (this article)

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Désirer – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb désirer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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